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A Mirror Image
Breccan Eleutheria, for as long as it’s existed, has always been very well established. Of course, there used to be Elefteria and Oriana, two sister regions that lied North and South of the middle land. It eventually all combined into one to become Eleutheria. A beautiful and broad place, and home to many. The population was a decent size, and most of everyone knows each other. On the border lies a string of guards; protectors of the Nation to anything that may dare bring terror or harm to the land. Everything’s peaceful for the citizens, and violence or disease is practically unheard of, as well as having more than 3 children as a means to prevent overpopulation. Yet, if it is heard of… “Hey, I think I heard someone!” I hear a male voice say as my foot snaps a tree branch in half. “Really?” The second male voice that chimes in snickers. “I haven’t gotten my hands dirty in a long time…” Most of us who commit violence, have any chronic diseases, or are born illegally are banished to the outskirts of southern Eleutheria, otherwise called ‘the Outer’. From here, we are basically forced to live on our own and the plants our surroundings provided. Yet the land is still somewhat beautiful, the people here are so brainwashed into thinking there’s nothing good left for them that they usually resort to killing. After all, we are considered faults in our society. Crouching down between a few bushes, my eyes scan over my surroundings. Most of it is just an abundance of elderberry trees, until my eyes catch onto a sliver of blonde hair. Crap…I’m sure if I try and back out of this, they wouldn’t notice, right? I’m about to crawl towards an opening of the forest when a yell rings out. “Hey! You over there!” I stop in my tracks, still on all fours. Maybe they’re talking to somebody else? “Look at this lil’ idiot, Perry! He must be one of the abandoned.” A laugh is heard a few feet away from behind me, and I quickly stumble to get on my feet. “Or one of the diseased, Parrish.” As I turn to face them, two older men stand before me. My eyes widen as I back away. “Oh no, he’s definitely an abandoned. Look at the poor boy, he can’t be but 13!” The blonde one, Parrish says, twirling a spear that’s seemingly carved out of wood in his right hand. “P-Please! I have no quarrel with you,” I stammer, placing my hands out in front of me. I then reach for my satchel that I’d managed to steal upon stumbling across an eco-village. “Would you like some fruit? I-I don’t mind collecting more!” I say, tossing the bag to their feet. The other man, Perry, snatches it from the ground, giving a devious smirk. “We don’t want your fruit, reject.” “M-My clothes?!” “Nobody wants to see a pretty little boy prancing around the Outer naked.” Right at that moment, the guy named Parrish jumps at me. Wrestling me to the ground, I muster up whatever strength I have and manage to come out on top for a small moment. I bury my fist into his face just as a hand grabs me from behind. The brown-haired man, Perry, instantly drags me off of the younger guy. He puts me into a headlock, and I ball up my fists. He gets up off the ground, recovering his spear. His eyes glaring at me, he cracks his knuckles. “I’m going to make you regret that.” After saying those words, he leans back, aiming to throw his spears. I shut my eyes, awaiting his actions. I feel myself becoming frustrated as I wait. All these 13 years spent for what? To live my life in hell, and then be sent straight down to it according to the head government? My eyes fly open as I hear a voice say, “Hey, you three! What do you think you’re doing?” All of us turn our heads to see a guard, as well as two behind her, all possessing shiny-looking swords. “Do you all not take punishment as punishment enough?” She does a gesture, causing the two guards to simultaneously pin up the two attackers against nearby trees. The woman then grabs my arm, twisting it. “Ow!” “We’re all fucking dead!” Parrish yells, looking over at me. “You’re dead anyway, boy!” “W-What?” I ask, turning my attention to the woman who now was putting me in cuffs. “W-What’s happening!?” “You’re all disrupting the peace, just feet away from the outside of Eleutheria. Do you know what happens to those who disrupt the peace so close to our land?” I’m speechless as I realize what she’s implying to. “N-No, you don’t understand!” “We all understand, boy,” Another male guard says, shoving a cuffed Parrish next to me. “But I’m an abandoned-” “You jeopardize our system. You were banished, weren’t you?” She asks, pulling me off as we all begin to walk to the direction of the outside of the forest. “I didn’t ask to be banished!” I exclaim. “I didn’t ask to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere!” “We’ve heard that story tons of times,” She sighs, pushing me forward with the edge of her sword. “Now hurry on, we’re taking you to your cells. You all are to be trialed tomorrow and confess your wrongs in the sight of gods and men, and likely to be executed in the morning.” Jericho I stare out the window, the rain splattering against the glass. My finger taps the glass, and many options show up. I scroll through them before finding the sunshine setting. The rain quickly subdues. The puddles that were once on the ground disappear. All that is visible are children running through the streets, playing a game of tag. "Jericho!" shouts my brother, Harvey, from downstairs. I quickly turn off the window filter, returning the outside to it's early morning brightness. "Hurry up! I have to get you to school before 7!" I grab my one-strap bag from my bed, slinging it over my shoulders. Making my way downstairs, I practically run into Mareitta, and we both go stumbling to the ground. "Sorry," I mumble, getting to my feet and helping her up. "Way to go, brat," she hisses at me before placing a smile on her face. "Don't worry about it. I must have been walking down the stairs too slowly. It was my fault." Mother laughs from the kitchen. We both turn our attention towards her as she busies herself with cleaning. "Isn't your sister the sweetest? One of the most peaceful of all my children." I only shrug my shoulders. She's only peaceful on the outside. Though she is good with keeping secrets when I needed her to, she's one of the biggest jerks to walk the planet. But, according to all the adults, no one could match her in sweetness. Still, she is keeping one of my biggest secrets for me... While I, meanwhile, keep the secret of her fooling around with the next door neighbor, Declan, when no one else was home. Harvey claps his hands together, pulling the attention to himself. "Well, it's time I get you two off to school before I head to work. Mom, dad, enjoy your time alone." With that, he leads us out of the house. Marietta and I walk side-by-side, our smiles still in place as we whisper to each other. "Watch it, or everyone will know about Declan." "Say another word and everyone will know you're gay." She laughs, as if I told the funniest joke, while an elderly couple passes by. "You're so funny, Jericho!" "Ha, thanks," I say, looking back at the ground. That's when I hear the silent murmurs following us around. I look up, noticing people staring at the three of us as we walk. But, primarily, they're staring at me. "W-Why are they staring?" I ask Marietta in a quiet voice. "You didn't-" "No." She narrows her eyes in confusion before putting a smile on her face. "Hey, Harvey! You have to hear the joke that Jericho just told me!" Our older brother comes to a stop until he is right beside us. She lowers her voice as she talks to him. "Do you know why they're staring?" Harvey looks down at me for a second before looking back at Marietta. "Remember that thing mom and dad told us when we were little about Jericho?" She nods her head, so he continues. "Well, it's about that." With that, he motions to a hologram playing on the side of a building. It shows three boys, standing in a court room. One of them has neat, bright blond hair, the one to his left has short, brown hair, and the one on his right has shaggy black hair, much like my own. A small gasp comes from Marietta, looking down at me, then to the television. "But if-" "He won't know." "But others will surely-" "Not now," Harvey says, glancing down at me. "Alright, bud. The middle school's just around the corner. Do you think you can walk a full thirty feet by yourself?" "I'll be fine." I give them a small wave and, very slowly, walk towards the middle school, trying my best to catch on to their conversation, only to fail miserably. I mentally groan before placing a smile on my face. Groaning and moaning ruins the peace. Smiling and waving increases peace. The sound of books from my right has me turning around, only for someone to fling their arms around my neck. "Jericho, I was so worried-" "Henrik!" I hiss, pushing away his arms. "W-What're you-" I start, my cheeks burning, but he simply contines to speak. "There was a boy arrested yesterday for disrupting the piece in The Outer, so close to Eleutheria and-and he looked so much like you. I was scared so I-" "Which one? There were three." His eyebrows scrunch together as he pushes his pale brown hair from his face. "Jericho... the one with the black hair. He even had the same eyes as you. Blue-gray and brown." We both start to walk to class, keeping a few feet's distance between us. "He could have been your twin." "But I don't have a twin. I can't have a twin. Only three children, remember?" I ask, placing a smile on my face as the guards at the front of the school come over to check our bags. We both pass through with no problems. "But it still looked like you. Jericho, I-" "I know," I say, giving him a reassuring smile. I long to reach over, squeeze his hand reassuringly, but we're at school now. We're only friends, as far as everyone knows. "But I'm fine. I haven't disrupted the peace, and neither have you. So remember to smile and wave, nod politely... Be safe, Henrik." His face contorts in sadness before he nods. "You too, Jericho." Breccan My eyes scan warily over the crowd to my right. I suck in a deep breath, tapping my foot nervously. Distant screams can be heard inside of the execution chamber, which was on the far side of the room. Rumors say it’s supposed to be sound-proof, but it seems like it’s not. Nor does it faze any of the observants. “Here before us stands Parrish and Perry Beauregard, banished to the Outer for their reputation as the infamous parricide brothers. The third person on trial is one of the abandoned, with no name given.” The guards behind me nudge all three of us, causing us to emerge from behind the curtains. To my right is a large screen, showing me and the two older guys as we walk up the steps. I have no doubt that this courtroom isn’t the only one that has that recording displayed. “You got us into this, fuckhead,” Parrish whispers, his deep brown eyes drilling holes into mine, as we all walk up to the chairs. I shiver, averting my eyes. “These three have been accused guilty of disturbing the peace within fifteen feet of Eleutheria. “We hadn’t any idea!” Perry groans. “All we were doing were mindin’ our own business until a reject got in our way!” “Yeh!” Parrish adds. “If anything, we got so close to the border because of ‘em!” I keep silent as the two put the blame on me. If I’m to die, does it really matter how people see me, anyway? Not like they see me as anything special to begin with. “Silence, at once!” A loud voice booms through the room. Looking up from where my eyes were previously fixated on the floor, I see a tall man in a white suit appear from a pair of double doors, alongside him a man dressed in black next to a man in a red robe. Assuming it’s the Head Commander, judicial executioner and the Judge, I swallow dryly, avoiding their eyes. “Do you have anything to say about the situation, boy?” The Head Commander asks, looking at me. I shake my head, keeping my eyes on the ground. A slam startles me, and I jump. Deep blue eyes stare angrily at mine, palms flat on the table we sat behind. “Look at me when I speak to you, boy!” I keep my eyes trained on him, shaking my head once again. He scrunches up his lips before backhanding me across the face. My face to the side, I bite down on my lip as a stinging sensation tears at my right cheek. I can hear Perry chuckle. “He deserved it.” Another slap is heard, right next to me. I breathe slowly, trying to calm down any feelings and thoughts of hostility. “You three should know why you’re here...for disturbing the peace within our land.” “It was outside of our land, and if anybody is not keeping peace within Eleutheria, it’s you,” Parrish says. The Head Commander raises a hand, and I prepare myself to flinch as a bang of a hammer is heard not too far away. “Enough, Commander Alcimus.” The Judge says, watching the Commander with steady eyes. He lowers his hands before turning around quickly. “I want them all sentenced to death! All three of those-” “You must have the wrong boy!” A woman’s voice is heard, causing everybody in the room to turn. A slightly older woman with short black hair and cocoa brown eyes looks at me. I knit my eyebrows together in confusion as to why she keeps her vision focused on someone like myself. “That boy there is my son, and it’s disgraceful that you pass him off as one of the abandoned!” She walks right past the guards, straight in my direction. “Jericho, how dare you skip school and get yourself in such life-threatening danger?!” “Wh-” “Get over here, right now!” She grabs my arm, pulling me up from the chair. I look over at her in confusion as the Judge looks at the both of us. “I’m sorry Commander Alcimus, Judge Magnus,” The woman that’s holding me says with a bow. “I’m sure my son meant no trouble whatsoever.” “Then what was he doing near the Outer?” Judge Magnus asks, and she passes it off with a weak laugh. “Jericho must’ve been exploring and stumbled upon the banished,” She says awfully casually, gripping my arm. “Isn’t that right, Jericho?” What’s a Jericho...why’s she calling me that? I blink several times, looking at her with a perplexed expression. “I-I-” “Very often do adventurous children accidentally end up on the outskirts. I’m sure he did not mean to bring any harm or disturbed peace to any of us in this room.” The Judge purses his lips before nodding. “Very well. Apologies for confusing your son as an outcasted. Please be sure he doesn’t venture off again…” He then turns to me. “It’s very dangerous in the Outer. As for you two, parricide brothers…” Why’s he saying that like I don’t know? I’ve lived in hiding my whole life, trying to keep my life from the criminals in the Outer. Before I can open my mouth to protest, the woman shoves me out through the double doors, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt. “They even dressed you up as one of those to be executed...what were you thinking? And where was Marietta? Or Harvey?” “What? Who-” “And just wait until your father hears of this! You likely will be grounded...Marietta wouldn’t have gotten herself into such a dreadful situation like this, as have you. What’s gotten into you?” “Grounded? What?” The woman drags me alongside her, earning plenty of stares from passer byers. “Please, Jericho...I know you’re trying to play like you don’t know what I’m talking about to try and not drag attention, but now’s not the time. Besides, you’ve just got yourself riled up on live television. If anything, being grounded is the most reasonable punishment for you…” I decide to keep my mouth closed, as this random woman wasn’t giving me a word in. Plus, she seems a bit crazy, calling me Jericho. I’ve never had a name my whole life; why would she give me one now? She doesn’t even know me. “And school. You’re likely to be suspended for a period of time until you get some sense back into you…” “School? What’s a school?” The woman doesn’t seem to hear me as she continues to carry me to some unknown place, blabbing about several things I've never heard of in my life. The only thing I don’t do is argue as to where we’re going, as from the light blue buildings and scenery around us, it seems as if I’m far from the Outer. Jericho Henrik and I walk home. Though the street is empty, we still keep a few feet between us just in case someone was around. "You didn't have to walk me home," I say quietly, my voice barely over a whisper. "I wanted to. You're my friend." Though we both know that we are so much more to each other, it doesn't help the sting that I feel in my heart. "Well, thanks again." I stare down at my feet, unsure of what to talk about with Henrik. We both haven't been alone together in so long, primarily since we usually hang around my house. But, with my father now home at every hour, it simply isn't working out. As we both walk to my house, I find myself sneaking glances at Henrik. His eyes are also drawn to the ground, clearly nervous. He kicks at a pebble every few feet. I open my mouth to speak, but a hand slams down on my shoulder. "Well if it isn't the next door neighbor," says the voice of Declan. He pulls me into a noogie, ruffling my hair. "How are ya?" "Fine," I say, forcing a laugh. Though I'm not sure if Marietta told Declan, I definitely don't want to chance him finding out from me. "This is Henrik. My friend." Henrik offers him a forced smile. Marietta then chooses this moment to come bursting out of the house. The moment her eyes land on me, shock writes it's way across her face. "Jericho? But you're-" "I'm what?" I ask, pushing away from Declan. "Oh no..." She grabs my arm, pulling me inside. "Mom!" she calls out. "You don't have Jericho! Jericho is right here!" From upstairs comes our mother, the boy from the hologram following behind her. When she sees me, her eyes go wide. "Oh for heaven's sake..." "Why is the boy from the trials here?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. The boy is, admittingly, very slim. His shaggy black hair had been combed, likely by my mother. His mismatched eyes land on me in confusion, as if wondering who I was. The front door opens and in walks Henrik. "Hey, Mrs. Pallesen. Hey, Jericho, you dropped-" He holds out one of my books to me before pausing. "You... you have a twin?" My eyebrows scrunch together in confusion staring at my "twin". Is that really what I look like? "I have a twin?" Marietta pushes me into the living room, but my eyes remain looked on the other person. Is that honestly what I look like? Have I always looked so... terrifying? "There are things you don't understand," Marietta starts, throwing a look over her shoulder. "When you were born, you were born with a twin. But there's a law that you can't have more than three children, so he... What's his name?" "M-Mine?" asks my supposed twin. He looks around in shock before staring down at his feet. "I don't have one." Mother clears her throat. "It's Breccan..." "Right. Breccan was sent away. It was going to be one of you, and the government decided you would be the one to stay." Henrik stares at me in shock before looking over his shoulder over Breccan. "It's scary how alike you two look..." Marietta turns to look at Henrik, raising an eyebrow at him. "Why are you still here? Don't you have a family to get home to?" It seems to dawn on him as he quickly turns on his heels. Before he full leaves, he turns to look at me. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, then?" "Yeah. See you." I watch him leave before sighing. "Okay? So what do we do now? I-I mean... We still can't have more than three children. What do we do with-with... my twin?" "I'm not sure," mother says, looking him over. "He's from the Outer. But if he returns, he might be arrested again..." She studies him, ruffling his hair a little. "Did you have a family in The Outer?" "W-What?" Breccan asks, his eyebrows scrunching together. "I-I don't think so... What's a family?" His question leaves us all in shock. So this is the fate of an extra child born into a family? Mother wipes at her eyes, clearly crying. "I-I had no clue they would do this to you... I thought they would give you to a family who couldn't have children. My poor baby..." She pulls him into a hug, shocking him. Once she lets go of him, he awkwardly stands there, looking around the room. "Is this what they call a house?" "Yeah," I say, looking around. "Usually food is dropped off every morning, and usually the mother of the house is left to cook. Rations are specific to the number of people living in one household. Our house has the max number of people allowed in a family, which is five. A mother, a father, and three children. All the windows have filters, which is cool." "It drains power," mother scolds me, shaking a finger at me. "Breccan, sweetheart, do you remember where in The Outer you're from?" "We're just going to throw him back out there?" I ask, confusion filling my face. Marietta elbows me, her blue-gray eyes glaring at me. "We can't take care of him, and they won't give us extra rations. How are we supposed to take care of him?" I think it over for a moment before nodding. "I can think of something. Mom, how about I take Breccan to show him around?" "No!" the two females quickly shout. "If you two are seen together, questions will be raised." "But you two are just going to go and drop him off back at The Outer. I actually have an idea-" "Then... I can't believe I'm saying this... Marietta, will you go with him?" Marietta sighs before nodding. "Fine, sure. I guess Breccan's staying here?" "Until you two get back, yes. We'll decide where to go from there. Until then... um... What do you usually do for entertainment?" As Marietta and I leave, I listen to Breccan's confused questions. "Entertainment? What's that?" I close the door behind us, sealing the two inside. Declan walks over, making sure to keep his distance from Marietta. "What's goin' on, you two?" he asks, taking a second to trail his eyes down Marietta's body. I gawk for a second before placing my forced smile on my face. "We're going to break into the food storage facility to get extra food for my friend from The Outer. Wanna come with?" "What?" Marietta quietly hisses, but Declan speaks over her. "Hell yeah. I know a secret entrance that isn't guarded. Snuck in quite a few times. I can get you in just fine." We high five as Marietta glares at us. "Let's go, little dude and..." He takes a second, googling at Marietta's chest for a second before smiling at her. "... and Marietta." Since their relationship was on the low-down, they try to act as friends only, primarily being that, when they become of age to be married, their partner is picked for them, and it wasn't likely that they would end up together. I have always dreaded the moment when my spouse would be picked for me. I don't like girls, and I kind of technically have a boyfriend, not that we can be open about it. But, eventually, we would end up married, forced to have families, and it kills me. "Then let's go," I say, throwing a toothy grin at them as we make our way to the center of town, where the food storage facility was located. This was sure as hell going to be interesting. Breccan “Breccan, are you alright?” The woman, or rather my mother, asks from outside the door. I nod, closing my eyes tightly. “Y-Yes!” I answer loudly, quickly turning off the ‘window filter’, a pretty cool image setter on the window screen. My eyes then scan the room. I’m not sure who’s it is, but it seems very much like it belongs to a boy from the dark blue walls and plain setup. The only way I know this is by sneaking a peek at Marietta’s - or rather, my sister’s - room on the way in here. I stare at the outfit laid out for me on top of a big bundle of soft blankets. I assume they call it beds. “I’m just thinking!” I add after a long silence, and I can hear her footsteps retreat. “Right. Review...My name is Breccan.” I say, tying the towel securely around my waist after taking a...bath. “My name is Breccan.” I frown as I button up the newly, fresh smelling shirt. I don’t think I’m pronouncing it right. “Breccan...Pallesen.” I say sternly, before pursing my lips in disappointment. “Right. Not part of the family.” If I want to have the same personality as those here, for the time being before I’m thrown back into The Outer, I probably should sound much more soft. Shy, maybe? “Hi, nice to meet you. My name is Breccan.” I say quietly, trying to pull my lips into a similar smile I saw my mother give me. I can already feel how fake it is, and quickly drop it. Once I strip down of my towel and pull on underwear and trousers, I sit myself down on a stool in the far corner of the room. Taking a deep breath, I continue to practice for a few more minutes. “Breccan…” “Breccan?” “Hello, my name’s Breccan-” The door swings open, much to my surprise. I nearly jolt as my eyes cross a pair of mismatched ones. “Mother? What is...Breccan...doing in my room?” He asks, raising an eyebrow at me. “I thought he’d have a good time adjusting to what the home looks like while he’s waiting on you all for food!” She says. I quickly get back up onto my feet, clutching my dirty clothes in my hand. “S-Sorry. I’ll go.” I say with a small nod of my head, walking towards the exit of the room. My twin just stares at me as I quickly head for the large table in the...dining room… There’s a large brown paper bag, and I sit in one of the chairs. Reaching in, Marietta pops up of nowhere. Regional people sure do like to surprise… “Me, Jericho and Declan managed to get you some fruits and a few loaves of bread.” I pull out what looks like a stock of grapes, hungrily munching them down. I then begin to quickly gulp down what looks like blueberries before starting on a banana. “U-Um...wow...you probably shouldn’t eat so much,” She says, and as I look up, everyone in the room is looking at me weirdly. I just continue to break off chunks of the banana, popping them in my mouth. “Oh, it’s fine. This’ll last me a good week or so,” I say with a small shrug. Her eyes widen, probably because of my comment on my appetite, but I ignore it, reaching for the bread. A hand swats mine away, and I look up, confused. “If you eat all the food now, you’ll get heartburn.” My twin says, his eyes glaring at me slightly. I just continue to stare at him in a puzzled manner. “Heartburn?” He nods, taking the bag away from me. “Mom, we’re going to hang out with Breccan for a bit!” Marietta says, and then places a hand out of my back, escorting me from the chair and up the stairs. “Speaking of hearts...have you ever gotten your heart broken, Breccan?” She asks, looking at me as I place one foot in front of the other, proceeding up the steps. “Heart-broken?” I contort my face at her question. “Sounds pretty painful. Wouldn’t that kill me, having my heart torn in half?” “It’s not the time to ask the boy such foolish questions.” I can hear Jericho say, following us up. We take a right towards the bedrooms. I look down at the glass floor, lights shining from underneath, probably because the sun was beginning to set. Marietta guides me into her room, decorated with many flowers and pink wallpaper. She grabs a remote from her nightstand, casually pressing a button which causes the previous white ceiling to show a sky of stars. I watch in awe. “Have you never seen a ceiling filter?” She asks, looking at me. I return my gaze to the floor, not exactly sure how eye contact works around here. “I’ve seen a window one in Jericho’s room,” I say, biting on my lip. “It’s still shocking to me. The skies in the Outer are pretty dusty...and they’re always a deep red. Sort of like hell. And it’s really hot.” The two siblings remain silent, as if trying to believe my words. “That’s...terrible.” I sit down, crossing my legs on the ground. “You get used to it after a while. Though it did take me a while to scrub off all of the dirt. It’s hard to find a lake to bathe in, that you don’t end up getting drowned or killed off from a sneak attack.” Marietta looks at me from her bed while Jericho stares at me across from me. “I knew you didn’t have peace in your land, but...never thought it’d be anti-peace.” “Peace is the last thing the insane know,” I say, running my hands through my hair with a nonchalant shrug. “The sick die off soon after they’re banished, and many of the abandoned don’t make it past infantry. Luckily I didn’t scream much as a baby.” Marietta coughs, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “A-Anyway...that’s starting to creep me out. Why don’t you say more about yourself, Breccan?” “Like what?” Jericho asks with a small scoff, looking at me. I feel slightly uncomfortable how we keep crossing eyes, though I guess it’s just a matter of never being able to look into a mirror, and having a twin sort of does that for you. “Maybe your interest in people?” “Interest?” I ask, slightly confused. She sighs, while Jericho shoots daggers at her. “Mari-” “Like kissing, or making out, or…” She trails off, and I feel myself becoming nervous. There was this one girl, in The Outer, yet… “The thing where you press lips?” “Maybe you’re not as clueless as you seem, then,” He says. “I did it once.” I continue, ignoring his comment. “I didn’t want her to do it though. She was cool as a friend, but...I didn’t like it.” “You didn’t like it?” She asks, looking a bit shocked. I nod. “I don’t see the point in it.” Jericho sucks in a small breath, looking at her. “So if you’re...boys...and I’m...boys...and he’s...nothing…” “It’s rarely heard of!” She says quickly, cutting him off. “I’m sure it’s just because he’s never had a real experience — it’s fine. Actually, this’ll be perfect. We have him try again with a girl, covering for you, and cutting off all suspicion!” My eyes constantly flicker between the two of my family members. “Suspicion of what?” “Suspicion of nothing,” Jericho says. “Marietta, you’re acting crazy. This isn’t even a good idea. If he’s ace, then-” “You really think it’ll stay a secret forever?” “But what if Henrik-” “He won’t-” “And plus, Breccan might not even stay with us that long-” “Then we make sure he will! It might take a few days, but...he's gonna stick around. Especially now.” She says, glaring at him for a moment before turning towards me, pointing at me with her finger. “And after that, we convince mom to not let you back to the Outer, you act like Jericho outside of school, and you’ll be able to experiment around a bit to see what you like best-” “Harboring an abandoned...that’s breaking a law…!” “What?” I ask, still extremely confused. “Wait, I’m staying here?” “Jericho, Marietta, Breccan!” Our mother calls from downstairs, causing us to instantly lower our voices. “You certainly aren’t going back to the Outer.” She says with a prideful smile. “You can call me the matchmaker from now on.” “Matchmaker?” I question. “I thought your name is Marietta-” “Don’t listen to her.” Jericho says. “This is a whole load of crap, and it’s not gonna work, anyway. Just leave the boy alone.” “Children!” Mother yells again, and I get back on my feet. “You’ll be just fine, Breccan.” Jericho presses his fingers to his temples. “I just hope I’ll be, after this terrible plan…” Jericho Marietta lead the way downstairs, where Harvey and our father are now standing with mother. "Finally, you're all here. I was starting to worry. We have to head out soon if we want to get Breccan back to The Outer." "I have a better idea," Marietta says, a bright smile on her face. "How about we keep him here. Jericho is the top of his class at school, no? For the time being, we can have Jericho home school Breccan. And, actually, I was thinking that, maybe, since our next door neighbor only has one child, they can bring in little Breccan. We can continue getting him food. It should all work out fine!" "Marietta... As much as I want to keep him around, we can't just include him in the school system. What if the government finds out?" "We won't have to! Just think about it. They can register for more food, saying that they've brought in a child from The Outer like some families have done before. The government won't bat an eyelash to them because they'll see it as a way for them to slowly bring peace to a young, poor, helpless child. They won't raise a question as to which one, because there's so many. He'll be right next door, Jericho can homeschool him. It'll all work out just fine." Father sighs and comes to stand before us. "And what about when it comes time for the partner choosing that happens when a person comes of age? Do you expect that they'll include him?" She narrows her eyes in confusion. "They hardly ever are, but it depends on every year. I know that next year, when it's my turn, a few of us will be left marriageless to work in government and the likes. But it gives him a chance, don't you think?" Mother and father speak quietly to themselves. I glance over at Breccan. Marietta's trying to have him replace me in life to hide my secret. Why? He's clearly an ace... "Alright, but only if they'll agree to take him in. If not, we're sending him back to The Outer. I suppose I'll go and ask." Father squeezes her hand lightly as she makes her leave of the house. Harvey studies the three of us in interest before patting me on the shoulder. "Alright, Breccan-" "I'm Jericho. He's Breccan," I say, shooting my brother a dirty look. "Really?" He stares at me in shock for a second before turning his attention to Breccan. "Alright. Then you, my little brother. How about you and I go and get you some of my old clothes? They should fit you just fine, I think." With that, he whisks him away upstairs to grab clothes. Marietta smiles down at me in a victorious way. "See? Everyone wins." Father raises an eyebrow at us. "What does that mean?" "Hmm?" she asks innocently. "Oh. Breccan gets to stay and not return to The Outer. Declan gets a little brother. Jericho keeps his twin. You and mom get to keep your son. I think this works out beautifully." Except for when Breccan would eventually have to take over my life and I his. Not to mention that Henrik would have to be informed of the switch without bringing any alert to us. "Yes, I suppose so." He blinks a few times in quick succession before turning his attention to the door where mother stands. "What did they say?" "They said yes. Mr. Xavier said he would go and take care of all the necessary forms required tomorrow morning." She smiles warmly before turning her attention to Breccan and Harvey as they make their return from upstairs. "Good news! They've agreed to take him in." Harvey claps Breccan on the back, offering him a smile. "Way to go, kid. Looks like you're staying." Breccan narrows his eyes in confusion as he looks around the living room. As if studying us, perhaps? "And... will they, too, be my... family?" I nod my head in answer. "While you're technically the child of these two... If anyone asks, Declan and his parents are your family." "Won't they be able to tell that we're twins, though?" "I'm sure... I'm sure everyone will, which is why we're homeschooling you until you can live in society alone. Likely, you won't be involved in the marriage ceremony, so everything should work out just fine for you," Marietta points out before pulling him into a half-arsed hug. "Everything'll work out." I force the urge to roll my eyes at her away as she treats him as if she has known him her entire life. It was almost like she liked him better. But she can't, right? Harvey claps his hands together. "Well, I think this calls for dinner. Favorite mother of mine, what're you cooking?" "Don't you have a job to get to, Mister Marriageless?" mother asks pointedly. "You have your own house. Why are you sticking around here?" "Family. I just love you all so much, considering I won't get to have family of my own because I was deemed too important of a person to have family by the government." He grabs Marietta, who's still holding Breccan, and myself, pulling us three into a bear hug. "Would you look at my family? Isn't it just great?" This time, I can't help myself but roll my eyes. Family. I always hated the word. Marietta hates me, and Harvey treats me like a kid. Mother and father barely acknowledge me. Breccan is a stranger. I don't have a family. I have Henrik, and he can't be family in the end... He could never be family... "Jericho, don't roll your eyes," mother snaps at me. "Rolling your eyes ruins the peace." "How can you tell them apart?" Marietta asks, staring down at the two of us, side-by-side. "Because I'm their mother." "Mannerism," Harvey whispers to Marietta. She nods ever so slightly as if she understood. Harvey finally lets go of us all. Mother busies herself with cooking, and I take Breccan to the living room. "Here, I'll show you what a hologram is. The evening news should be on in any second..." As if on command, the hologram bursts to life, showing the image of two brothers standing in a trial room, clearly distraught. "This just in," says the reporter on the screen. "Two young boys have been sentenced to death for disrupting the peace within fifteen feet of Eleutheria. They reportedly go by the names Perry and Parrish. Tomorrow morning, they shall publically be hanged for their crimes against the peace of our land." Breccan stares at the hologram, clearly terrified. "I know them. They're the ones who attacked me in The Outer. I was going to be... hanged with them." I stare at him in shock. So was this how mother found him? She saw him on the hologram and hurried to get him, thinking he was me? "You were on trial for murder?" Mother snorts from the kitchen. "Three seconds away from being sentenced to death. Lucky I thought he was you." Father, meanwhile, comes to stand behind us, leaning against the back of the couch. "I never imagined the day you two would be sitting here, together. When your mother gave birth to twins, I imagined they would kill one of you. I never thought... that they would send you to The Outer." Breccan only shrugs. "I was a quiet baby." "Guess that's one thing in common," I say, almost to myself. One thing my parents never understood about me as a child was how quiet I was. I never cried. I never spoke out of term. Maybe, just maybe, I was training back then for my future of silence that I would endure later on in life. "You two have a lot in common," Marietta points out from the kitchen. "You both look alike. Both very quiet. Breccan might even rival you in smarts soon enough." I only shake my head at that. I'm top of my class. Could my own brother, who hasn't been in the school system for 13 years, really rival myself in smarts? Breccan Declan and his family took me in fairly quickly, much to my surprise, considering it was only the next night that I was moving in. “So...I have two families?” I ask, following Declan into a pretty empty room. All that’s in it is a bed, nightstand, bookshelf, and a solid grey rug on the floor. I do feel pretty warm inside once I see that I have a room filter, though. “And a room filter?” I ask shyly, looking at it with big eyes. Declan nods, ruffling my hair. “Yep! I’m your new big brother, and the rest of those lame-o’s are your biological family.” He shrugs, plopping down on top of my bed. “Oh, and if you’re gonna engage in some heated stuff, make sure your doors closed. Mom and dad don’t usually walk in, but it’ll be pretty obvious if you don’t have the soundproof door shut.” I raise an eyebrow in confusion. “Heated stuff?” “Huh...I’d think that most of you youngins are fooling around. Well, nevermind it then. At least a girlfriend, right?” I frown. “No…” He stares at me for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed. “Why so sad about it?” “There’s no point in it.” He lets out a small laugh. “You’ll find one eventually that you’ll like enough to do it with.” A cringe runs down my body, not exactly so comforted by his words. Why would I get myself into something that I don’t even like? Especially physical aspects...couldn’t I just stick to handholding? That’s intimate enough… Noticing my silence, he gets up from the bed. “Alright, well, anyway. I’m gonna go. Have fun settling in, little bro!” He says with a small wave of his hand before leaving my room. I set down the two large paper bags on my bed, which was covered in a light grey blanket and a large pillow. I begin to take out my...very few...belongings. “Dictionary…” I whisper to myself, bringing it over to the bookshelf. Lately I’ve been practicing many words, and am now able to know what most of the basic furniture in a house is. The books have pictures, which helps a lot. Nouns are easy. Adjectives...a little complicated. I then turn to take something else out of the bag. “Toothbrush.” I set it aside on my bed, noting to put in the bathroom later. “Schoolbooks...for Jericho…” I say, the name rolling off my tongue disturbingly as I walk over drop the stack of books on the nightstand. I don’t get any bad vibes from him, though from his actions, I feel as though he doesn’t like me much...I wonder why… “And hair stuff...from Marietta.” Though not sure why I read everything aloud, I sigh. She gave me a few things to ‘make me look better’, as she says I do look quite rough. Most of everything settled in the bottom of the bag consists of a hair comb, what looks like aloe vera gel I’d consume from the plants in the Outer - though smells and tastes completely different, and a bottle with very fragranced liquid in it. “Declan, Breccan! Lights out is in fifteen minutes!” Lights out for the regional people is, by my mother’s words, when people go to sleep. “Okay!” We both yell simultaneously. I decide to gather my toothbrush and bag of clothes and head to the bathroom. I guess I’ll pick out what looks most like ‘sleep clothes’ from there… ---- I look at the bowl in front of me, filled with weirdly shaped puffs inside milk. I then look up at Declan. “What is-” “Cereal,” He says, as if used to my questions. I make an ‘o’ shape with my mouth, shoving a spoonful into it. He chuckles, setting his backpack beside him and sitting down at the table I was at as well. Soon after, his parents...or, our parents...join us. Everything is different, though. His family is not nearly as welcoming as Jericho’s…they remain extremely silent. “Um...the cereal tastes good,” I say, looking at everyone. “Is it homemade?” “Comes from the system.” My second dad says, gulping down something in a clear mug. It’s white and foamy at the top, and I can smell the almost acidic smell from here. I wonder what that must be… I look at my second mom, feeling her eyes as I watch her husband. Her cheeks are flushed, and she quickly stutters, looking for words to say. “S-Sorry. He should’ve said something more...descriptive. I do make homemade dishes every once in awhile, though cereal is mainly sent to us for breakfast.” She pauses, clearing her throat as she realizes I haven’t gotten to that word yet. “Breakfast is the meal you’re eating right now. The meal you eat in the mornings…” I nod, mentally reminding myself of that definition in my head. She looks over at the drowsy looking dad. “Honey, maybe you shouldn’t do that in front of our guest. Drinking is illegal and can make you do unpeaceful things, and-” He slams his fist on the table before getting up and storming into a room in the far back of the house. I look over at Declan, who just looks back at me. He then gets up, slinging his bag over his shoulder and leaning down close to my ear. “The drink dad has makes him loopy. Just don’t make him mad and you’ll be fine. He’s a drunk.” He then leans up, ruffling my hair like he’s done more than ten times in the past eighteen hours, putting a smile on his face once noticing mom is watching. “Anyway, see you tonight once you get off from being homeschooled!” With that, he leaves, exiting through the door that leads to the outside. Getting homeschooled by my annoyed twin brother. Perhaps I should try to get on his good side, then... Jericho After school was over, I make my way over to the Xavier home. Inside, Breccan stares at the hologram, which blares the news about the two brothers that were sentenced to death. "Early this morning, the two boys from The Outer that were sentenced to hang were hung for their crimes against the peace of Eleutheria." I walk up behind him and turn it off. "Don't watch that stuff. It'll only be worse for you in the end. Now, where are all those books I gave you to study?" Breccan points at the coffee table where the dictionary is currently open and a stack of the books I had given to him were placed next to it. "Right there." I fight the urge to roll my eyes as I grab one of the books. "Here. I'm going to first teach you about history of Eleutheria. How does-" The front door suddenly bursts open, and Marietta and Declan stumble in, locked together in a heated make-out session. The two catch sight of us and quickly jump away. "Ah, forgot about my new brother for a sec. Hey kiddo. We'll be upstairs." He offers Marietta his hand before leading her up the stairs. Both Breccan and I cringe. Truthfully, I can't help but be concerned for after the two of them are married to other spouses during the Marriage Ceremony. Likely, they would have an affair on the side and that would ruin the peace if discovered. Likely, they would be hanged for an affair. I can only hope that they do end up together, despite how unreasonable it is. "I don't understand it," Breccan says, shaking his head. "How do they... enjoy that." "What? Sex?" I snort, rolling my eyes. "I don't understand it, either. I've never understood the need to be with a girl-" I freeze suddenly. Shit, what do I do? "... that way." Breccan only nods his agreement, as if he hadn't of caught on to my words. I sigh in relief before grabbing the history book. "Be happy you weren't the one who found out about it, though," I say, shaking my head. "I had been here to help Declan study for some of his finals when Marietta said she would take over from there. The two of them went up to his room and closed the door. I was curious so I went to the door and messed with the door filters..." I cringe as the memory plays again in my mind. "Never again." "There are door filters?" he asks, curiosity in his eyes. "Yeah." Finding those two like that is one of the few things that helped me realize my sexuality. "Though I don't recommend it seeing what it's like. Maybe sometime later. Besides, they don't know about it, clearly. It's a hack for parents to keep an eye on their children to see if they're disturbing the peace." I flip open the book, ready to start teaching him, before I realize that he isn't sitting beside me anymore. "Breccan?" I look around the room, trying to find him, before sighing. I make my way upstairs to see him staring at the door with disinterest. "I don't understand the appeal." I walk over and turn off the door filter, unwilling to look at the two of them. "Neither have I. Come on." I grab his arm and lead him back downstairs. "You can't just... do that, Breccan. It's an invasion of privacy. The-" "What do you mean you don't understand the appeal? Are you... like me?" "No, we're different. But yes, I understand the appeal. Now, we need to get studying so you can 'rival me in smarts'." Though I am joking when I say he can rival me in smarts, it also kind of terrifies me. What if, when he takes my place, he becomes even smarter than I am? Or what if he drops me so far down academically that I'm no longer top of my class? "But then how-" I sigh and open the book. "Here, take this and start reading. I'm going outside for a breath of fresh air. Tell Marietta, when she comes back down, to come outside and get me before she leaves, okay? Before hecan argue with me, I head out the front door. I sit down on the front porch, my hands resting in my head. This is a mess. My own brother... my own twin, and I still couldn't tell him I'm gay. This sucks. Then again, of course, if he knows, he could do several things. Report me, keep his mouth shut, accidentally blab about it, treat me like shit for being gay... There's so much he can do to me. I have to protect myself, right? The door opens a few seconds later and Marietta joins me. "What're you doing? Aren't you supposed to be helping Breccan with his studying?" "I needed a break. He's asking too many questions. If he finds out-" "There's nothing you can do. If he does, then whatever. But until then,you have to act like nothing's wrong, because otherwise he will find out, and you will be in trouble. I groan to myself and stand back up. "Don't you have studying to do?" "Already done. I think I'll just head back to my own room for a small break." She ruffles my hair a bit before taking her leave to our house. I sigh and go back inside, only to see Declan pointing things out to Breccan. "Nah, little dude. You see, you got it wrong. Elefteria went to war with Oriana because of peace. It wasn't because the peace was ruined, it was because both sides wanted peace and thought it was the only way to achieve it. But then both sides realized their mistakes and joined together to great Eleutheria." "The wording is... very strange," Breccan mumbles, looking through the book. "So the war lasted thirteen years?" "Mhmm. Oh, hey Jericho. I'm just helping my little bro. Maybe you can help out a bit, too." I join the two of them, almost surprised by the knowledge Declan has. He usually doesn't act very smart, but he is. I glance down at the book to see where Breccan is. "Basically, Oriana was a place where peace was said to be the main motto, but it really wasn't. You see, Oriana was split into three smaller fractions of sorts, and they were always fighting with one another. How can you claim peace in a land ravished by war, right? Well, Elefteria also believed in peace, but believed that the only way to gain peace was through total government control. When they went to war, both sides wanted to conquer the other before realizing compromise was the best way to go. So they joined as one and created Eleutheria with the purpose of incorporating ideals of both regions." Breccan furrows his eyebrows together in confusion. "But... the dictionary definition of peace is-" "There are a few kinks in the plan that our government is working to control. But don't worry, because it will be fixed." I just recite to him what I have been taught since a young age. Change wasn't coming, though. Not anytime soon, any way. Not for people like Henrik and I... Not for people like Marietta and Declan... Not for Breccan... Not for anyone. "And when will that be?" "Who knows?" To Be Continued... Category:Stories by Blissfully Mine Category:Stories by Rainfacestar Category:Collaboration Category:Stories Category:Utopian Fantasy Category:Unfinished Category:A Mirror Image